Description

This sumptuous book starts with a history of the cottage garden. A chapter on planning and design introduces the main styles and the familiar features of the cottage garden are then covered in turn - from hedges and fences, to paths, arches, furniture and the creative reuse of materials. The following two chapters focus on growing flowers and shrubs and fruit and vegetables. Step-by-step sequences include how to protect young plants, plan a four-year crop rotation, and prune fruit trees. A chapter on livestock and wildlife shows how to care for chickens and other animals, and how to attract wildlife from birds and bees to hedgehogs and bats. A comprehensive directory then breaks down the wide variety of plants that give the cottage garden its appeal.show more

About Gail Harland

Gail Harland is a passionate gardener and has had her own cottage garden in Suffolk, England, for more than 15 years. Her knowledge of gardening is extensive and she is an active member of various gardening societies, including the Cottage Garden Society for whom she writes regularly, as well as being a regular contributor to many other gardening and lifestyle publications. She has a Diploma in Horticulture from the Royal Horticultural Society. Gail is also a professional photographer, having honed her skills in her own garden.show more